'Winning doesn't get old': Kettle Moraine Lutheran baseball earns 300th victory

Kettle Moraine Lutheran head baseball coach Darrell Washburn notched his 300th win in a 4-3 victory over Waupun on Wednesday.

The milestone provided an opportunity for the coach and his team to reflect on their approach to the game, which has worked wonders amid a 20-game winning streak. Beyond the career number being a testament that he has "been around for a while," the 19-year Chargers head coach said the pursuit of those victories has come with a lot of fun along the way.

"We not only want to win baseball games, but we want the kids to enjoy themselves," Washburn said. "Play the game the way it should and be gracious on the field. And we try to build good character too, and so that goes a long way in a lot of those teams and wins."

To earn the win over a long-time East Central Conference rival in Waupun to secure an outright conference title – the fourth straight season in which the Chargers have taken at least a share – made Wednesday even more special. KML trailed 3-2 in the eighth inning when junior Jackson Kobylarcyzk tied the game with an RBI base hit and junior Adam Zylka followed with a base hit. After waving sophomore Brett Biondich's game-winning run around third, Washburn hardly looked the part of a coach who had been in that position 299 times before. He leapt with joy as his players poured out of the dugout to celebrate as well.

"It doesn't get old. You know, as coaches we've been around for a while, and we're still competitive. We like to see the competitive juices flow from our players. And the winning doesn't get old," Washburn said. "There's definitely something that can be said about losing and lessons that can be learned. But you know, when you're on a roll, we just sit back and appreciate it, because we know it's not going to last forever."

As KML players posed for a photo op after Saturday's 1-0 win over Fox Valley Lutheran with two fingers held up on one hand and an "0" with the other to commemorate the 20-game winning streak, that round number meant another reason to celebrate. Washburn's tradition over the years has been to reward every five-game winning streak with a pizza party for the team, though he cannot recall many seasons that have caused him to schedule four.

"We have fun together. We try to do everything together, not in small groups. We want the guys to be close and really enjoy themselves when they play," Washburn said. "Doing things like that keeps it fun. And so when we take the field it's not all pressure, they're more relaxed."

Striking the delicate balance between fun and serious instruction is one senior pitcher/outfielder Reed Ratay appreciates of his coach.

"He's a really good leader, he builds us up when we're feeling down. He always just keeps things light, but then he can crack down too when we're goofing off," Ratay said.

"He knows his baseball, but he's also a good guy, which makes us want to do well and compete for him, and for us," added senior pitcher/shortstop Landon Hagenow.

The Chargers turned around an 0-3 start this year with 21 straight victories including two Saturday, the second over Wisconsin Lutheran, 7-5.

Washburn's record at the end of the day stood at 303-171. He is the 45th active coach in the state with 300 or more wins, according to the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association, with River Falls' Ryan Bishop (298-220) closing in.

Despite his successes, a WIAA state tournament appearance has eluded Washburn and the Chargers. Consecutive appearances over the past two seasons in the sectional final however have players motivated to finally get over that hump. WIAA regionals begin Thursday.

"We're looking to make it past (the sectional final) and maybe take this further," Ratay said. "We all love to play with each other. We don't want this to end, so we're trying to go as far as we can."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'Winning doesn't get old': Kettle Moraine Lutheran baseball earns 300th victory